For many parents bedtime time is the most challenging time of day because it seems like instead of winding down and getting tired our children end up cranky and melting down. And even though you know your kids are exhausted when you finally wrestle them into bed they still refuse to fall asleep. Every night you ask yourself, “Why does this happen?” and the answer is that you missed your child’s sleep window. The sleep window is that natural time that our body’s want to go sleep. During this time our bodies are producing calming melatonin, a hormone that makes us sleepy by relaxing our muscles and making us drowsy. However when we miss our child’s “sleep window” their body halts the production of melatonin and instead starts pumping the stress-related hormone cortisol. So now instead of settling down and feeling sleep your child is over stimulated, agitated and acts like they just drank an espresso! Not only will it take more time and energy to help him wind down and get to sleep but he will also have trouble staying asleep due to the higher level of cortisol in his body and from being overtired. You can see why in order to end this downward spiral it is important to recognize your child’s sleepy cues. Sleepy cues can be tricky because not all children have the same sleepy cues and some can be really subtle. It can take some practice but it is worth it because once you can spot your child’s signals that they are ready to go to sleep you can then get them down easier and quicker. Some common sleepy cues: · eye rubbing · yawning · becoming less active · zoning out or staring off into the distance · whining and fussing · becoming listless · becoming quiet and still If you have trouble figuring out your child’s cues then can keep one eye on your child and one eye on the clock. First you will need to figure out how much sleep your child needs and then do the math backwards to figure out their suggested bedtime. For instance if your child needs 11 hours of sleep at night and they tend to wake up at 7am then you would need to have your child asleep no later than 8pm. Starting 30-45 minutes prior to the suggested bedtime take your child to a quiet, dimly lit room and begin their bedtime routine. By doing this you may be able to start to see their sleep cues. Being able to recognize your child’s natural “sleep window” and getting them down to sleep before they are too sleepy will allow you capitalize on mother nature’s natural sleep aid and will keep your child from having a cortisol rush, resulting in a more peaceful bedtime and better sleep.